Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 19, 1995 TAG: 9504190041
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The unidentified patient from Buena Vista was admitted to Stonewall Jackson Hospital. No other details were released.
Dr. Suzanne R. Jenkins, assistant state epidemiologist, said health officials suspect this is an isolated case because six weeks have passed since the previous infections.
A cluster of cases of the invasive strep infections occurred between Dec. 8 and Feb. 23 in Rockbridge, Augusta and Rockingham counties. The region normally would expect no more than nine cases in a year, health officials said.
``This may be an isolated case that may have occurred anyway and had nothing to do with the outbreak we were looking at,'' Jenkins said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent investigators because of the high death rate in the outbreak.
Epidemiologists are analyzing data from throat cultures and other tests of the victims' relatives and randomly selected neighbors to see if there are any patterns, Jenkins said.
Health officials do not believe there is a common source for the infections, Jenkins said, but rather that a virulent strain of the group A streptococcal bacteria may be around.
The severe infections that the bacteria can cause include septicemia, which is a bloodstream infection; a toxic shock syndrome involving rapid drop in blood pressure and organ damage; and necrotizing fasciitis, in which bacterial substances destroy fat and muscle tissue.
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.